Love's Dress Rehearsal
by SkywalkerChild
Summary: One year before AOTC, Anakin practices for the greatest tragedies in his life *Now Complete*
1. The First Taste

Disclaimer: All characters (save Keturah Jade) are property of George Lucas. No profit is being garnered by the publication of this story. Chapter title c/o Fiona Apple. 

Author's Note: Response to a Fic Challenge on www.soulofthejedi.net: Write about a monumental event that takes place between two scenes (or in this case 2 movies), but is ultimately reversed or forgotten by the next scene/movie. Incidentally, while not a humorous story, this most closely resembles a satire of the Expanded Universe novels. Read at your own risk.

Rated: PG-13, for sexually suggestive content later on.

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter One: The First Taste

Twelve padawan learners between the ages of fourteen and eighteen sat impossibly straight on the pillows that dotted the Council Chamber-turned-classroom. In the middle of the circle stood Master Yoda, leaning on his walking stick as he spoke. The evening lights of Coruscant had been nearly blocked out by the light-sensitive shades, making Anakin wish very much that he had gotten more sleep the night before. Dreams were difficult houseguests to be rid of, however.

She had stood before him as always, long brown hair flowing down past her waist. The only outfit he could place on her was the white shift and fan she had worn during the celebration ceremony on Naboo. With each passing year, she aged just a bit in his mind, but she was always his Padme. And she always welcomed him with open arms.

"Padawan Skywalker," said a rough voice from the center of the room. "Daydream you should not during lessons; pay attention you must."

"Yes, Master Yoda. I am truly sorry."

Master Yoda gave a general _hrumph_ of displeasure and then returned to his lesson plan. The other padawans looked roughly as interested in the finer points of the Gungan mating rituals as he felt, but they at least were keeping their eyes on the teacher. Taking a deep breath, he focused on what Master Yoda was saying.

What little concentration young Anakin had disappeared when she walked into the room. She was, arguably, the most beautiful woman that had ever been created. Thoughts of Padme Amidala floated away into the pools of green light that were this woman's eyes. With her long red hair caught up neatly in a braid, she was the picture of poise and confidence. And the icing on his Corellian hot bun—she carried a lightsabre.

Master Yoda did not acknowledge the young woman when she sat down on the cushion nearest the door. The young male padawans, and even a few of the females, stared in awe at the Padawn before them. The ways of the Force were not as interesting as the vision of loveliness they were all sharing. 

"Padawan Jade, returned you have. Successful, your trip was?" Yoda asked, his back towards the group of students.

Anakin immediately began to wonder why he had never seen or heard of this Padawan before. And, perhaps most importantly, why was she so powerful that she could be sent on missions. _I want to be sent on missions_, he thought, nearly sending himself into a self-pitying spell that might have taken weeks to break. 

Padawan Jade bowed her head and a small section of hair slipped out of place. She pushed it behind her ear and Anakin felt a wave of annoyance pass through her. _Not so powerful_, he thought smugly. 

Her voice was even more intoxicating than her looks. "Yes, Master Yoda. Master Windu and I safely returned the children to their families; we even found two toddlers that are sensitive. They'll be joining us here before the end of the month."

Anakin watched the way she held her body; she did not favor one side over the other. She was either very lucky when she went on her missions with Master Windu, or very skilled. In either case, Anakin Skywalker determined that he would indeed like to get to know her better.

Her eyes were on him then, one eyebrow cocked in amusement. He met the green orbs for an instant, but felt his face flush with the embarrassing thoughts she was causing. She sent a ripple of internal laughter in his direction before turning her attention back to Master Yoda's lesson.


	2. Smitten

Disclaimer: All characters (Save Keturah Jade) belong to George Lucas. No profit is being made from the posting of this story. Chapter Two title c/o Bree Sharp.

Rating: PG-13

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter Two: **Smitten**

"Anakin, curb your thoughts," Obi-Wan said, rapping his padawan's knuckles with the safe end of his lightsabre. The Jedi Master's quarters were sparsely furnished, as was fitting and customary. In his youth, Anakin had tried to find some object on which to blame is incessant daydreaming, but had been left with few options. The daydreams were because of his unfocused mind.

Obi-Wan continued. "To begin with, she is nearly seven years older than you are; and furthermore, she has made a commitment to the Jedi Order." The older man paused, then stared poignantly. "As have you, I might add."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, rubbing the knuckles on his right hand. "I am sorry, Master, but I had never seen her before; she is almost addicting."

Obi-Wan surprised them both by chuckling. It was a hoarse sound; the Jedi master's vocal chords were so rarely used in that manner. "We keep Keturah away from the other Padawans for precisely that reason; she is far too distracting for unfocused young men." He paused. "And some young women," he amended. 

Anakin nodded slowly, pushing thoughts of Keturah Jade to the back of his mind. If he were ever to become a Jedi Knight, he would have to learn how to separate his personal thoughts with those of the Order. With great difficulty, he focused on Obi-Wan's lesson in economics and politics.

****

After days of searching and questioning, he found her hidden between the stacks in the Jedi Archives. Many of the other padawans had been asking the same questions of their masters; no one wanted to help young Anakin Skywalker find the object of his attention. But he was a resourceful young man, and eventually a Force-feeler came back to him. She had been masking her presence quite well, but no one could hide from Anakin Skywalker if he truly wanted to find them. 

__

Taller than I remembered, he thought as he tried to hide between the stacks from 500-550 post-Foundation. She had left her hair down that day, but she kept tucking strands behind her ears as they fell onto the book she was trying to read. Her frustration level began to grow until she tucked all of her hair into the back of her shirt. Anakin had found his moment.

"You could have brought a hair clip," he whispered to her from the other side of the bookshelf. She looked up at the sound of his voice and he smiled with as much charm as possible. "I hear they are quite practical."

Keturah raised her eyebrows, and Anakin could tell she was focusing on his cropped, male padawan style. She let out something that resembled a chuckle, although not by much, and added another book to her pile.

"You should not speak about things you do not understand, Skywalker."

His heart leapt up into his throat as she turned to walk away. _She knows my name_.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked once he had caught up with her. His voice carried through the stacks and the archivist peeked her head out from the front desk to see what was going on. After sending a wordless apology in the older woman's direction, Anakin turned his attention back to Keturah.

"How could I not know who you are?" she asked, her voice harsh, but the whispering tone made it sound even more beautiful than it had in Master Yoda's lesson. "Ever since Master Obi-Wan brought you here, it is all the other Masters can speak of: Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One." 

He felt himself blushing despite his best intentions. She seemed to have finished the conversation, opening a book and looking at the table of contents. Anakin, however, would not give up so easily.

"You must be nearly ready to take the Trials," he whispered, leaning over her shoulder to examine her books more closely. "Are you excited?"

She looked up at him and promptly rolled her eyes. "I shall be taking the Trials very shortly, yes. And when you are that advanced in the Jedi Arts, excitement is not an emotion you feel."

Anakin saw his moment. "You never feel excitement? About anything?"

Keturah shook her head. "No."

He straightened up and smiled. _We will see about that_. With a polite bow, Anakin swept out of the Archives, beginning to plan an exciting adventure worthy of almost-Jedi Knight Keturah Jade.


	3. Ride

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns all the characters, except Keturah Jade. No profit is being made by the publishing/posting of this story. Chapter Three title c/o Amanda Marshall.

Rating: PG-13

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter Three: Ride

With the lights dimmed in the Jedi compound, Anakin slipped easily between the shadows, resting periodically in the safety of the pillars. The Force was always at his beck and call, but if he used it for too long, it began to tire him. He would need all the strength within him to make it through the plans he had for the evening.

Anakin heard the night chaperone walk by the pillar he was standing behind. Holding his breath, the padawan willed himself into a Force-void, hoping whoever was pacing the dormitories did not notice him. He would not like having to explain to Master Obi-Wan, or Master Windu, why he was sneaking over to the females' quarters.

With his mind, Anakin quietly disengaged the lock on the doors. The Force had served him in his youth to avoid physical reprimands from Watto; now it saved him the hassle of having to physically pick the lock. Anakin made it inside the long hallway without a sound and he smiled at his own cleverness.

Anakin took a deep cleansing breath and then sent her name out into the Force. When she did not respond instantly, he feared that she had not heard him, or that perhaps he was doing it wrong. Obi-Wan had told him repeatedly not to skip ahead in the lesson books. Anakin was about to try again when he felt a pull in his heart towards the third door on the left.

He walked slowly, toe to heel, down the hallway; each creak made him fear the arrival of the hall matron. When he reached the door, he found it unlocked. He took another deep breath before entering the room and locking the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, the whisper so soft he almost hadn't heard it. 

He grinned. She had pulled the blankets up around her body, but one beam of light had silouhetted her. She looked lovely. "Trying to have you feel some excitement."

Her hair whipped behind them, the brightest mark in the middle of Coruscant's night. Not even the glowing signs of the taverns and houses of ill repute could compete with her. Anakin Skywalker had made her smile.

"I told you this would be fun," he screamed over the wind, nosing the speeder down. They were nearly perpendicular to the ground, the g-forces pulling their faces taught. Her hands were gripped tightly on the door and center console, turning her knuckles white. He looked over when the wave of excitement and fear rushed through her. Anakin laughed.

"We are going to get into a great deal of trouble for this," she reminded him when he had evened out the speeder. They traveled at a more leisurely pace now, enjoying the relative anonymity and quiet of the airways. She suddenly became self-conscious; prying her fingers off the speeder's interior, she smoothed out her hair and then decided to re-braid it. 

"We will only get in trouble if we get caught," he reminded her, turning briefly to smile. Her fingers worked quickly, gathering up her hair like strings of red silk. He almost forgot that he had to pay attention to the airways, until a fellow joy rider honked her horn angrily. 

He swerved the car back into its own lane; this time, Keturah did not even flinch. _Has the excitement worn off? Or is she finally enjoying herself?_ "We will be back before morning bed check and the speeder will be ridiculously clean." He patted her hand, surprised at how smooth her skin was. "No one will ever know."

The braid finally secured, she squeezed his hand a bit as he took a leisurely turn between two buildings. Anakin wasn't sure if it was affectionate, or reassuring, but he welcomed the extended touch of her hand on his. When she pulled her fingers away, he frowned.

"Let us return quickly," she suggested, looking at her wrist-chrono. "I have many tests to conquer tomorrow; Master Windu will know if I have not had enough time to reflect and meditate." Surprisingly, she smiled. "This was definitely exciting, Anakin Skywalker."


	4. Love is Expensive and Free

Disclaimer: All the things you recognize (except Keturah) belong to George Lucas. Although I wish I were making money off of this endeavor, sadly, I am not. Chapter Four title c/o Fastball.

Rating: PG-13

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter Four: Love is Expensive and Free

He felt her hands over his eyes, blocking his view of the passing speeders. Her fingers were warm, if a bit rough, against his now-closed eyes. He could smell her shampoo as she moved in closer. Clearly, they were alone, or she would not have been so bold. With each word she spoke, the sounds of Coruscant slowly faded into nothingness:

"What is it like to be the Chosen One?" she whispered, causing the hairs on his neck to stand up. "Do you feel the Force differently?"

Anakin turned around to face her, taking her hands between his own. A jolt ran through them both, flowing through the door he had opened on their illicit ride so many weeks before. Hesitantly, he opened himself to the Force. His senses flared to the point that he could identify where every child padawan was stationed. With one tendril, he invited her in.

She burst inside him, a red and green ball of possibility. The connection would have held much longer, had Keturah not pulled away from it. Her face was flushed and her arms were shaking. She swallowed repeatedly, trying to relieve her suddenly dry throat.

"That's not always what it feels like," he said, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. She leaned into him, glad for the release from her own body weight. "But sometimes, when I want to feel everything all at once, I let the Force in just like that." 

"Amazing," she said softly, her voice finally returning. "It felt like…like no other moment of interaction with the Force I've ever experienced. How you walk around with all that…" She shook her head and then buried her face into his rough Jedi robe. "You will do amazing things, Skywalker; why else would your powers be so great?

****

__

Anakin.

At first, he thought it was just another dream. Sometimes, Padme would come to him and speak his name. Other times, it was his mother. Lately, it had always been his mother. Something was wrong at home…

__

Anakin.

He realized that the sound was not coming from his own mind, but rather from a person just beyond his locked door. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and opened himself up to his caller.

__

Keturah.

He felt her presence approaching quickly and, with a flip of his hand, he unlocked the door. She had always shoed him out of her room when he came to be with her at night; what did she think she was doing? Somewhere inside, he wondered if he should put on a shirt, but didn't have a chance to answer the question.

She slipped into his quarters, the soft fabric of her nightgown falling on her frame. Through the white fabric, he could see her highly trained muscles and all the signs of her womanhood. He tried to subdue the thoughts that immediately formed.

She was at the edge of his bed then, sinking softly into the mattress. She took his hand and placed it on her exposed thigh. He felt the skin pucker underneath his fingers and a rush ran through his own body as she reached out to him in a more intimate, mystical way.

"Give into your feelings," she whispered, her lips grazing his neck. "No one will ever know, Anakin."

Each kiss dissolved another piece of his resolve and the padawan did exactly as he was instructed.


	5. Hard Day

Disclaimer: All fame and fortune belong to George Lucas. Keturah belongs to me. Chapter Five title c/o George Michael.

Rating: PG-13

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter Five: Hard Day

Obi-Wan could tell something was amiss with his young padawan. Anakin was smiling and joking with the other students, and even with his Master. He accepted all missions and challenges with great energy and excitement, no matter how trivial the matter was. The boy's normally cocky air had increased ten-fold in the past few weeks.

__

What have you done, my young apprentice?

Perhaps Anakin had heard his thought. From his spot on the cargo bay floor, the Padawan looked up, his now-permanent smile slowly fading. The look resembled panic at the idea that whatever secret the young man held had been discovered. Not one to let things remain secret, Obi-Wan sat down next to his charge. 

The facts of the situation became all too clear the closer Obi-Wan got to his apprentice. With a sigh, he rubbed his tired eyes. "Please do not tell me you have fallen in love, Anakin."

Anakin tried to grin. "All right, then I won't." Obi-Wan leveled a stare at the young man. Despite his bravado, the padawan bowed his head submissively. "I am sorry, Master, but she is just so...intoxicating. I have not felt this way about anyone since…"

Obi-Wan shook his head, interrupting the young man's words. "You are not supposed to feel that way about _anyone_." He dropped his voice, trying to sound less angry. "Anakin, love is a bond that distracts a Jedi from his work. You will always be tempted to think of her first, and not the good of your mission." He sighed. "I want you to end it. If you do it quickly, I will not inform Master Windu of the situation."

****

"It _cannot_ be over," she said. They had found a quiet balcony to discuss this life-changing event on; the fact that it was 0230 helped things considerably as well. If Anakin hadn't known better, he would have thought that Keturah was going to cry. But Keturah was stronger than that.

He whispered his words, trying to make them more soothing with the Force. "It has to be. We've both committed ourselves to the Order; we can't go back on that vow."

She shook her head, anger building up inside her. He wanted her to turn around and look at her, so he could explain that this decision was not really his to make. 

"No, you don't understand; it will never be over." She finally looked up at him, only to take his hand and place it on her stomach. "I am with child, Anakin; you are going to be a father."

He felt his eyes grow wide. Even as she had spoken the words, he had felt the tiny being inside her. Still, denial was the first step. "That's not true...that's impossible. We were so careful..."

She shook her head again. "Apparently, not careful enough."

He put his head in his hands, the life he had chosen for himself crashing down around him. "What are we going to do?" he asked no one in particular.

"I've already decided," she answered. He felt angry for that moment. This was _his_ child too, after all. "I'm going to Chancellor Palpatine and will ask him for an extended leave of absence..."

"Palpatine has no authority over the Order!" His mind was still flailing: all questions and no answers.

Despite the situation, she found the energy to roll her eyes at his naiveté. "How little you know, Anakin. The Order could not exist if Palpatine decided it shouldn't. The Jedi Council will allow my leave if he authorizes it."

Anakin frowned, separation already beginning to eat away at him. "And what about me? Do I ever get to see you again?"

She shrugged. "I won't be able to tell you where I'm going, and you'll be off on your missions…"

"And after the baby?" he asked, hoping for at least one bright mark in the dark mess he'd created.

She could only shrug. "I can only decide about that when the time comes."


	6. Great Provider

Disclaimer: Anything that looks remotely familiar belongs to George Lucas. I claim Keturah, for what she's worth. I will never see a cent for this work. Chapter Six title c/o the Barenaked Ladies.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: The end, hope you enjoyed the trip. I am contemplating a series…perhaps one day this shall continue.

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Love's Dress Rehearsal  
Chapter Six: Great Provider

Anakin tried not to fidget while the transport settled into one of Coruscant's many docks. He had been waiting for this day for nine months. He had nearly revealed his deep dark secret to the entire council when they had informed Master and Padawan that they would be going off world this entire week. He had wanted to be there for it.

When the transport finally opened, Anakin had to remind himself not to run full-tilt towards the Chancellor's quarters. He would need an appointment, first of all and, more importantly, Obi-Wan would probably get very suspicious. The Jedi Master still thought everything was over.

The night sky did little to comfort the anxious padawan. The lights from the speeders and transports blinked randomly, but seemed to be speaking to each other. As one light would go out, the next would pulse, only to repeat the cycle with another vehicle.

"Anakin Skywalker?" a guard asked, looking the padawan over carefully. When Anakin nodded, the guard took out a piece of paper. "Chancellor Palpatine wishes to meet with you in his private quarters." Obi-Wan moved to hail a speeder, but the guard shook his head. "I am afraid it says _alone_, Master Kenobi."

****

"I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, Anakin," Palpatine said. The Chancellor's almost-monotone was soothing despite the horrific news. "The doctors did all that they could..."

Anakin didn't even realize he had done it until the vase went flying across the room and shattered against a wall. In the bassinet, an infant girl began to cry.

The Chancellor walked over to the cradle, picking up the child with unexpected grace. She already looked so much like her mother: bright green eyes and a tiny tuft a red hair. Palpatine rocked back and forth slowly, waiting patiently for the child to stop crying. Eventually, he walked the child over to her father.

"Would you like to hold her?" he asked.

More scared than he had ever been in his entire life, Anakin took the small sleeping bundle into his arms. The little girl stirred briefly, but did not open her eyes. With his right hand, Anakin gently stroked his baby girl's cheek.

"She's beautiful," he whispered. Fighting back tears, for the mother and the child, Anakin looked up to the Chancellor. "I am at a loss, Chancellor. Do you have any suggestions as to what I might do?"

Hands clasped in front of him, Palpatine nodded slowly. "The child's mother and I discussed this at some length," he began, watching as Anakin began to bond with the little girl. "If you would like, I will find a place for her to stay within my compound. She will have the best education, the best political training…"

Anakin sighed. "But she will never be a Jedi?"

The Chancellor smiled. "Who knows, young Skywalker. The Force has a plan for all of us, does it not? We shall wait and see where her talents flourish." Gently, he took the infant away from her father. "I will take good care of her, Anakin. She shall want for nothing."


End file.
